Pizzini's NFL Power Poll: Training Camp Edition

Grading the team.

Passing: AA

Running: B+

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B

Notes: The best and most accomplished quarterback in the league is back with even more fire power and is perfectly positioned to have a monstrous season.

Grading the team.

Passing: A-

Running: B+

Blocking: A-

Defending the Pass: A

Defending the Run: A

Notes: Troy Polamalu and the No. 1 defense return to keep the games within the very capable reach of Ben Roethlisberger's long arm.

Q: Why aren't the Steelers No. 1?

A: That is a very fair point. This rating is an assumption on my part that with the return of Tom Brady the Patriots become the same team that won the Super Bowl in 2004, 2005, went 12-4 losing to the Colts in the AFC Championship in 2006, and went undefeated losing narrowly in the Super Bowl in 2007.

They just missed the playoffs with a very playoff worthy 11-5 record without their star quarterback in 2008.

The Patriots are just that good.

Rookie Darius Butler will jump right in for Ellis Hobbs and Patrick Chung will probably fill in for Rodney Harrison right away.

They added Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Greg Lewis, Lawrence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris and great offensive line and a capable enough defense.

The Patriots also drafted receiver, Brandon Tate, from North Carolina. This kid can play.

Still I have no problem saying the Steelers are No. 1, I just picked the Patriots because I think they have returned to the same form as 2007 and I believe the 2007 Patriots are favorites over the 2008 Steelers.

I think we will see Steelers vs. Patriots in the AFC Championship game and the final judgment can be rendered at that time.

For now, I stand by my pick.

Grading the team.

Passing: A-

Running: A-

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: A-

Defending the Run: A-

Notes: Donovan McNabb and a healthy Brian Westbrook will lead the Eagles offense with their third-ranked defense returning 10 starters deep into the playoffs.

Grading the team.

Passing: AA

Running: B

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B

Notes: Larry Fitzgerald and the best passing attack in the NFL are joined by a promising rookie running back, Chris Wells.

Q: Why are the Cardinals ranked so high?

A: They did just barely lose in the 2008 season's Super Bowl, so they are pretty good.

Their passing attack is unstoppable when running smoothly and it's usually running smoothly. Warner to Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston is too much for any defense to stop.

Now they have Beanie Wells. Much like the situation with the Giants, Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs without the super offensive line, the Cardinals make you take the safety out of the box to commit in coverage and they can run you through with a bruising NFL ready speed and power back. This offense is an elite unit right now.

The defense is weak, but they can play-up like they did in the playoffs. This team will not win with their defense alone.

Their defense needs to avoid loosing the game for them as I suspect they will and in my best opinion at this time, we will see the Cardinals running with the Eagles for the NFC Championship again.

I stand with this pick.

Grading the team.

Passing: A

Running: B

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: C+

Notes: Peyton Manning is always capable of keeping the Colts in almost any game. He will have some help this season from a healthy Joe Addai and rookie Donald Brown.

A healthy Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney will return this defense to old form.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: B

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: AA

Defending the Run: AA

Notes: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and the Ravens second overall defense will once again take the pressure off of the young promising offense led by Joe Flacco.

Grading the team.

Passing: B

Running: A

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: A

Notes: A healthy Osi Umenyiora will lead a backfield penetrating defensive line as deep as the offense will take them.

If rookie receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramsees Barden can be reliable targets for Eli Manning, watch out!

Q: Why are the Giants ranked so low?

A: The defensive line is improved and very formidable—that goes without saying—but the defensive backfield is unproven and still shaky at the least as it was in 2008.

But that is not the problem. The Giants started out the season with wide receiver Plaxico Burress getting double teamed every single play, because he was otherwise unstoppable.

That opened up the running for Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2008 and is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If they left Burress in single coverage he gained 20-30 yards and Eli would just flip him the ball.

So take a safety out of the box cover Plaxico and then the Giants ran their 260-plus pound bruiser through the middle behind a monster offensive line and pummeled the poor linebackers who needed the help from the safety too.

No Plaxico equals no safety over the top and that puts another man in the box and the running game was not nearly as effective.

The first three quarters of the season the Giants were 11-1. After Plaxico pulled his hamstring and later shot himself in the leg the Giants fourth quarter of the 2008 season collapsed as they went 1-3 dropping three of their last four to 12-4 and lost in their first playoff game.

I don't want to Giant-bash. I'm not saying the Giants are not a great team. I have titled them a power house. I could feel comfortable rating them as high as three or four before the season starts if the rookie receivers Hakeem Nicks and or Ramsees Barden can sync up with Eli Manning and force a safety out of the box in front of the offensive line.

Conversely, if the receivers are not gelling with Eli, they could drop down the ranks if they start like they finished in 2008.

At this point I feel good about ranking the Giants at No. 7.

I stand by this pick for now.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: AA

Blocking: B+

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: A

Notes: Adrian Peterson and the newly-equipped Vikings passing game may balance this team for a big season.

Grading the team.

Passing: A-

Running: A

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: The Falcons have given Matt Ryan a loaded weapon with a high-powered and balanced offense.

Grading the team.

Passing: A

Running: A-

Blocking: A-

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: B+

Notes: LaDainian Tomlinson will have to return to form to balance the dangerous San Diego passing attack to make a deep playoff run.

Grading the team.

Passing: AA

Running: B+

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: C

Defending the Run: C+

Notes: The Saints' high-powered offense led by firecracker Drew Brees will have to score a lot of points again to carry an average defense deep into the playoffs.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: A

Blocking: B+

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B

Notes: Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, and the Panthers' offense must repeat a historically productive 2008 to finish in similar form this season.

Grading the team.

Passing: A

Running: A-

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B

Notes: Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, and the Texans explosive offense will need some better blocking up front to win consistently in 2009.

Grading the team.

Passing: B

Running: A-

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: B+

Notes: Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense will have to keep the offenses in check while Jay Cutler settles in under center with few proven weapons.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: B

Blocking: B+

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: B+

Notes: Aaron Rogers could use some run support in Green Bay but the rookie first drafts picks should bolster the already capable defense.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: B+

Blocking: B+

Defending the Pass: B+

Defending the Run: A

Notes: Jason Campbell must play better, and with more consistency, to keep the Redskins talented team in the playoff race.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: A

Blocking: A

Defending the Pass: B+

Defending the Run: B

Notes: Jevon Kearse and the Titans defense will need to prove that they can still stop the run without Albert Haynesworth and further allowing the offense to close out games by dominating on the ground.

Q: How are the Titans ranked 17th when they had the best record in the NFL in 2008?

A: Very fair question. I believe the Titans only win when they stop the run in dominating fashion. Whenever they have been without Haynesworth, opposing teams have been able to run on them and control the ball.

I'm a Collins fan, but he will have to win more games for this team with his arm this season than in 2008. He's going to have to prove he can be more than an average QB for this team to win more than 8 or 9 games in 2009 and beyond.

The Titans dominated in 2008 because of ball control. They are by far my most signiicant drop-off in power ranking from last season. I knew this was a contraversial ranking, but I believe they can not repeat in 2009 as they will not likely be able to grind out every game as they did last year.

Teams could not run against the Titans in 2008 when Haynesworth was in the trenches. When Haynesworth was out, the Titans were soft in the middle and the defense would get knocked off balance.

When the Titans got the ball the game was always close enough to run their two headed monster with Chris Johnson and Lendale White. It was as much out of necessity as it was out of strategy.

If the Titans yield more scoring and they will without Haynesworth, the offense will not likely be able to keep up.

Still, they could easily be ranked five positions higher and still exceed expectations.

They are a playoff hopeful, but I like them where I have them at 17.

Grading the team.

Passing: A-

Running: B

Blocking: C+

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: C

Notes: The Buffalo Bills and Trent Edwards are buckled up for the ride on the T.O. express train to playoff contender land.

Grading the team.

Passing: A-

Running: A-

Blocking: A-

Defending the Pass: B+

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys defense are going to have to pick it up to give Tony Romo a legitimate shot at proving he can be a championship-caliber NFL quarterback.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: B+

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: B+

Notes: When I see a Thundercat offense win their division, I'll believe there might be something to it. Wait? What?

Q: Why are the AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins ranked 20th?

A: The division is much harder in 2009. The Patriots and the Bills are more dangerous teams. The Dolphins did well to draft cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith to help combat playing Randy Moss and Terrell Owens twice a year each, but they are still rookies.

More than the competition, the Dolphins seemed to me to have been fortunate to exploit a gimmick offense for an entire season. I'm not sold on the wildcat or Chad Pennington, although a Pat White-run wildcat would be interesting if he could stay healthy running that offense for an entire season.

There 11-5 record is not really indicative of a team with the points-for-to-points-against-ratio that the Dolphins advanced with in 2008.

This will be a very interesting year for the Dolphins and I look forward to seeing what the evolution of the Miami Wildcat will be in 2009.

For now, I'm good with ranking the Dolphins at 20th as a playoff hopeful.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: C+

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: C

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: Matt Hasselbeck and the Seahawks offense will need one of the running backs to step up and take the pressure off the oft-injured quarterback.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: A

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: Maurice Jones-Drew will almost have to do it all by himself. It will be fun to watch him try—Hercules.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: A

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B+

Notes: The Jets are in a rebuilding mode with rookie Mark Sanchez and Thomas Jones will have to provide reliability to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Grading the team.

Passing: B

Running: B

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: B+

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: The Buccaneers offense has a completely new look with the exception of star receiver Antonio Bryant.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: B-

Blocking: C

Defending the Pass: C

Defending the Run: C-

Notes: Calvin Johnson only needs the best available quarterback to keep the Lions as a scoring threat at any moment and without notice.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: B

Blocking: C

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: C

Notes: JaMarcus Russell and the young but explosive Raiders skill players are going to be something to keep your eye on.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: C+

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: B

Defending the Run: B-

Notes: The Bengals offense and Chad Johnson got their quarterback back and the draft brought some promising talent to both sides of the ball.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: B

Blocking: B

Defending the Pass: C

Defending the Run: C

Notes: Brandon Marshall can keep putting points on the board, regardless of the quarterback, but the defense has to play more motivated.

Grading the team.

Passing: C+

Running: B+

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: B-

Defending the Run: B

Notes: Patrick Willis can only do so much and the offense needs a quarterback to lead the talented skill players.

Grading the team.

Passing: B+

Running: B-

Blocking: B-

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: C+

Notes: The Chiefs and Dwayne Bowe have a new quarterback, but there are just too many glaring holes to fix in one off season.

Grading the team.

Passing: B-

Running: B+

Blocking: C

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: C+

Notes: The Rams need Steven Jackson to stay healthy enough to carry Steve Spagnuolo through his rebuilding pains.

Grading the team.

Passing: B

Running: B

Blocking: C

Defending the Pass: C+

Defending the Run: C

Notes: Which ever quarterback takes the snap in Cleveland will be depending on superstar Braylon Edwards to catch the ball.